His Only Proof of Existence
by Blushing Nezumi
Summary: The passion to take snapshots, steal a perfect scenery, keep special memories, through photography; I never knew. But then you came at such a right time, will I soon come to realize the facts behind this inborn desire?


**This oneshot is a role-play fanfic! It means that I'm using characters from Gakuen Alice ONLY. There are no original characters or whatsoever, only our beloved known characters! No matter how weird the role may be for them. So...have fun imagining and reading at the same time! xD**

**Here are some guides:  
Naruhi = Narumi  
Kokori = Koko**

* * *

**His Only Proof of Existence**

_By BlushingNezumi_

_The passion to take snapshots,__  
steal a perfect scenery,__  
keep special memories,  
__Through photography;  
I never knew.  
But then you came at such a right time,  
Will I soon come to realize the facts behind this inborn desire?_

"Don't tell me you're going back to the countryside again?!"Kokori, Mikan's sister screeched throughout the empty classroom, not caring at all whether her sister was listening or not. Mikan was busy taking shots, may it be the small little lizard at the wall, or the silent ticking of the red clock at the teacher's desk.

"Kokori-chan, don't be such a bummer. And it's not only I,you know? It's_ us._" Mikan replied when she was mesmerizing the photos she took that came out from her camera. Those small pictures meant a lot to her, and she will keep it in a black clear-book, and eventually take photos of those snapshots in her clear-book.

"Onee-chan, aren't you getting bored with that hobby? I think you've grown too addicted in taking pictures. " Kokori said as she slouched at one of the school chairs. Mikan got her bags and signaled Kokori to come, as she stood up and followed her tracks. "Kokori, these aren't just pictures. These are my special treasures. I keep them and love them with all my heart. They're like my babies, you know? And you're their aunt." She said while walking, turned to go down the stairs. Kokori sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll leave no more words. But accept this fact, Onee-chan. I am no picture's aunt, okay?!" Mikan laughed at her statement and happily skipped down the stairs.

* * *

She too excited that she unconsciously packed her bedsheets in her suitcase. Luckily her mother told her that she was, and removed it with a smiling face.

"Mom, she's so creepy. She never stopped smiling ever since recognition took place. And look! Am I delusional or she's really having a floral background?" Kokori told Yuka, their mother. She just replied with her own smile and said "She's always like that when going to the countryside, Kokori. You know how much she loves the views there. Especially the Lotus garden just a short walk away from your grandmother's house. I think she'll be taking pictures of those again."

"But isn't she taking pictures of those every year? She's going on circles with regards of taking photographs, mom." Kokori replied, as she brushed her short brown hair and wore a pink hairband. "Just understand her, okay? She has her own reasons for those. She's so like her father. Only his desire was collecting photographs of different kinds of birds _only_. But your sister is way more addicted. She likes every shot she takes. " Yuka replied with a laugh, and proceeded to return to the kitchen and check if the fish is already cooked.

"I knew what your father was like, back then." Kaoru suddenly popped out. She is the maid of the family for 25 long years already, older than Mikan herself. "He liked to wear a hunter's outfit which caused the birds to freak and fly away. But he was just there to take their pictures. Oh poor, poor Izumi." Kaoru continued as she let out a laugh. Kokori laughed along with her, imagining her father in a weird outfit such as that mentioned.

* * *

After a night of an insomniac slumber, Mikan finally reached her long-awaited destination-the countryside. She happily held her camera and shot the horizon, the view she had from going out the car. Kokori rolled her eyes at her actions and got her teddy bear. Kokori, a girl of 14 years of age, could never be too old to not live without her Teddy Bear, Tummi.

"Okay, kids! Go have fun together with Grandma Naruhi, okay? And go break a leg with your photography, Mikan-chan! Have Kokori-chan something fun to do, okay?" Yuka shouted at the window of the front seat. Mikan went to her mother to kiss her in the cheeks, and replied "I surely will, mom.".

The blue Mazda 3 drove off towards north, while the two walked towards the entrance of the Peach Village, where their grandmother's house lies. After a few steps, they finally reached the house and at the gate, they were greeted by their little niece and nephews. Misaki, Tsubasa, and Hayate are triplets and aged 2.

"Auwnie Miyan-chan! Auwnie Yoyoli-chan!" The three greeted, and behind them was a beautiful young lady in a white summer dress. Her eyes shimmered at the sight of them two, and her hair swayed with the wind. If only she wasn't the mother of these three adorable kids, then she'd ave a long line of suitors right now. Imai Hotaru, a dazzling mother at a young age of 18. "Mikan-chan, Kokori-chan, welcome back. " she greeted. Hayate made his way to crawl towards Kokori and started to grab her summer dress and bite it. Kokori, whom just noticed it carried the little Hayate in her arms. "Don't eat that, brat. It's made of perfect silk." she said, while ruffling his hair. Hayate just smiled and sucked his thumb, while saliva was flowing down from his mouth.

"Hotaru, your youngest '-plet' really likes to eat things. I believe he'll be a big guy in the future." Kokori told Hotaru. All just laughed their ehads off and went inside. There, grandma Naruhi is knitting a scarf on her rocking chair and was surprised to see the two of them appear right before her eyes. Mikan let go of her suitcase and hugged her grandma tightly but not to the point of choking her. "Grandma! It's so nice to be back!" she mumbled while hugging her, as her grandma replied "I'm glad that you are, my child. You came earlier than usual." Mikan stood up as Kokori hugged her grandma. Mikan got her suitcase and walked towards her room. As she was walking towards the said direction, everyone heard her say "I was too excited for some reason, I don't know. But what I know is I really got to come here earlier than usual."

All just ignored the statement and readied lunch.

* * *

"Hotaru-chan, I really wonder. Two years already passed by, and we still never knew the father of your children. Who exactly it might be?" Kokori asked with a taste of curiosity. Everybody was peacefully eating Onigiri while the triplets were happy feasting with a nice bowl of mildly hot ramen.

"I never mentioned? It's the bastard Serio." she said with a stoic face, obviously trying to not emit off any weird reactions or whatsoever. Both Mikan and Kokori stopped munching. They know Serio, they _knew_ him. Or so they thought. He was a homeless boy that Grandma Naruhi decided to adopt although there were protests coming from Hotaru's mother, Nobara. She claimed that Serio was a dirty boy, a homeless kid that just deserved its punishment. She believed that any person, as long as its status is not in a good standard, deserves it for they may have done tons of things wrong. Despite her protests, Grandma Naruhi still insisted that he shall be adopted for he, a young kid doesn't deserve a llife like this. He was 8 then, while Hotaru was just 6. For year that he had lived with them, it wasn't impossible that he would bloom feelings for the girl.

But then, he went overboard.

He loved her so much to the extent of taking all of Hotaru for himself. Despite her cries of agony from his actions towards her, he still did it to her without mercy. But at that very night, Grandma Naruhi overheard the cries of Hotaru and instantly went to her bedroom. There, she saw what was happening. Serio stopped his actions and snapped back to reality. His view was so perfect, but was too cruel for him to admire. Her crying face, it was too much. He ran as fast as he could while Grandma Naruhi ran to Hotaru's aid.

Serio dashed to the kitchen, reached for the largest knife, and immediately stabbed his heart; without further regrets. Nobara was doing the laundry when he heard the noise coming from the kitchen. She went to the kitchen to see what was happening, and was surprised to see the blooded lifeless body of Serio. The shock was too much to give her a heart attack, dying along with him. Poor Unfortunate Souls.

All thought he was such a nice child that he could harm no one. But still, he was a person. A lustful one. Kokori always detested that guy. And discovering that _he_ was the real father of these cute kids. The person who broke Hotaru's beautiful future. "So he was it?! That cruel bastard! I'm gonna dig up his grave and burn his bones to ashes! And let it rot in hell to be witnessed by my very own eyes." Kokori uttered, stabbing the onigiri with her fork. "Now, now. We're in front of Kami-sama's blessings, we don't want to be rude." Grandma Naruhi replied as Mikan stood up to bring her plates to the lavatory. She passed by the window and saw the neighboring house.

"Grandma, The Arai family is quite silent. Aren't they the noisiest neighbors in the world? Why are they in a quiet state?" Mikan asked, noticing the dull features of the neighboring house. Hotaru let out a small laugh at the question. "Why, they moved. Three months ago, to be exact." Grandma Naruhi replied. Mikan went to get her camera that was placed at the center table of the living room. She returned to the window and took a picture. "The appearance is so dull, it definitely defines an empty, lonely house." Mikan said to particularly no one."The appearance may look so, my dear. But there is actually someone living there. A nice, young lad. He is a very gentle person, I can say." Grandma Naruhi told the girl. Mikan let out a smile and went to get a hat.

"I'm going to take a visit."

* * *

_Knock, Knock_. Was the sound coming from the door. Mikan was in the front porch of the house of a still unknown neighbor. No one answered the knock, so she did it again, a bit harder. Still, no one answered. At that, she decided to take a picture of the dead, dull grass at her view. With the perfect perspective, she clicked her camera to catch the scene. And she loved the emotion emitting from the natural scene. This is what she loved about the countryside. May it be alive or dead, still, it is a natural scene. The perfect definition of reality.

After what seemed to be 5 minutes, the door opened only to reveal a guy only in boxers. "Hi!" Mikan greeted along with a smile. The boy just stood there, stared at her. "You're not from this place, are you?" He asked as he got a shirt from nowhere and pants from the sofa just beside him, near the door and wore it without further ado. Mikan, who shrugged the sight, said "Yeah. I came here to have vacation with my sister. And we live right next to you!" Natsume looked at the right to peek at the Sakura residence. "With Grandma Sakura?" he asked. "Obviously." replied Mikan.

"Anyway, what do you need?" Natsume asked with his brows and arms crossed. "Nothing much. I just wanted to meet the new neighbor. May I come in?" asked Mikan. Natsume thought for a while, looking at the pale blue sky and made way for her to enter. Then he asked "What for?". Mikan looked at him. His uncombed hair made him look a bit cool. And basing from his looks, he seems to be at the same age as he was. Perhaps nineteen.

"I just wanted to meet our new neighbor. I come every summer here so, it's better if we get along right? Since you'll be living here and we'll be seeing each other every summer." Mikan said. Natsume turned to look at her and said "...right. I meant, what was the camera for?". Mikan unintentionally held the camera close to her eyes, aiming for a picture. But the boy swiftly moved away from the place. When the picture was coming out from the camera itself, it revealed a blurry silhouette of a guy turning to the left.

"Why did you move?!" Mikan asked, crumpling the piece of picture; which was very unusual. "I hate my picture being taken. Specially with the likes of you, non-countryside people. I barely even know you." He said. Mikan sighed and stood up, got his hand and inserted it in her pocket. The boy blushed furiously and tried to pull away. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Grab it."  
"What?"  
"The candy, you idiot." she said with a giggle as he tried to get it. "I've got it, now will you let go of my hand, you pervert?!" he almost shouted as she obliged. Mikan laughed at his reaction. "Eat it now. And I'm not a pervert." she managed to say in between of her laughs. Natsume furrowed his brows and glared at her, but still ate the said candy.

"Now, what does it taste?" she asked. Natsume went silent for a while. He munched the candy until it was completely gone. He looked at her with a strange look, and said "Mikan."

"And you are?"  
"Natsume."

* * *

"You ride a skateboard? Cool!" Mikan asked with shimmering eyes. It was a fine sunday morning, and she was going to the Lotus garden together with Natsume, their new neighbor. She was supposed to go with her sister, Kokori. But she insisted that her foot hurts and doesn't like to walk too much. Ruka, her childhood friend from the countryside, also their neighbor has a summer job. And that was planting rice crops in the field. Hotaru was too busy taking care of the triplets and Grandma couldn't possibly still accompany her to go to the Lotus garden with her weak feet. And there was no vehicle available to ride that could let grandma travel. There were only bikes, as what Mikan knew. But meeting Natsume made her add a new vehicle available in the countryside-a skateboard.

"Hn. I can see that you're not blind to not notice." Natsume replied with a smirk. His spiky ebony hair was covered by a white cap with its back at the front and it's front part on his neck. Wearing it gives off an aura that he isn't from the countryside, too. But he really grew up there, as he said. Mikan was riding a mountain bike, a grey one. It was Hotaru's and she always borrowed it from her just to go to the Lotus garden.

"Say, do you want to have a race? You and me? The one who gets to the Lotus Garden wins first, okay?!" Mikan started. Natsume immediately declined. "Tsk. I don't want to. You might lose and cry, and I don't like to hear any whining." He replied. Mikan pouted and crossed her arms. "Who said I'll lose anyway? Try me and know." Mikan said with a taunting tone. Natsume rolled his eyes and started rolling. Mikan was taken aback and rode her bike immediately."W-wait, that's not fair! Wait for my go signal you!-" she didn't continue what she said and just sighed with a smile and caught up.

"I'll be first, Natsume! Just so you wait!" Mikan said happily as she pedaled a bit faster while Natsume kept on rolling his board and eventually putting both his feet above it. They were at the same distance already, and it was hard to determine which will really come first. Natsume looked at the girl. She was in the highest spirits, and her camera was hanging from her neck. He assumed that this girl really loves to take pictures. Especially the beauty of nature.

"Natsume! Are you having fun?!" Mikan asked while still pedaling fast. Natsume smiled and looked at the horizon. "Yeah." With his smile, that Mikan saw for the first time, smiled and took a picture of it. "W-what the-?!" Natsume muttered and moved faster. Mikan that was still focusing on riding her bike faster, patiently waited fro the picture to come out from the camera. But all she saw was a moving silhouette of a guy riding a bike.

"I should have known! We're moving fast! Hahaha." Mikan laughed while crumpling the picture again. She was a perfectionist when it comes to pictures. Natsume looked at the girl with a faint smile then suddenly stopped at his tracks. Mikan stopped, too. "Natsume?" He was standing there, holding his head like he was feeling pain. "Are you having a headache?" Mikan asked as she went down from the bike and went to his aid. But before she could even get near, he knelt down on his knees while holding his head as if it were about to explode any minute now. "Natsume? NATSUME?!" she shrieked, obviously in panic. "Oh, please shout! It'll ease the pain! I-I don't know what to do! DON'T MAKE ME PANIC, IDIOT!" Mikan managed to say, walking a step to the left then to the right. "Aargh.." Natsume grumbled while holding his head. "Natsume! Get well!" Mikan shouted while she embraced him and patted his back. After a few minutes, he finally stopped holding his head and was just breathing heavily.

"I must have exhausted you too much, I am so sorry. I should have agreed with you on the first place when you declined." Mikan apologetically said. Natsume's breathing came back to normal and stood up. He patted her head and said "Nah, I was just exhausted. Did it give you a scare?" Natsume asked with a smirk. Mikan was teary-eyed and jokingly punched him in the face. "Of course, it did! I thought you were in the verge of dying!" she stated while she wiped her tears away and started to smile. "...and happy that you weren't."

Natsume raised a brow while looking at her. "You actually do?" he said in a soft voice which Mikan didn't manage to understand much. She asked him to repeat what he said, but he shrugged it off and reassured her that it was nothing.

"That's it, I'll take the skateboard, you use the bike. That way, you won't be that exhausted. And oh- wear my camera for a while, okay? Don't break it!" Mikan told the boy. He was hesitant at first, but gave his permission to ride his skateboard afterward. "Are you sure you can ride my board?" he asked, trying to put on a mask on his face that was originally showing off a worried expression. Mikan smiled, showing her teeth and putting a thumbs up. "I ride this in Tokyo, Natsume-kun. Well...not always. But I can manage. The waveboard is much harder, and I can totally ride that thing too, you know?" she said as they went to the Lotus Garden.

* * *

"Ruka-kun!" a shrieking voice startled Ruka in his planting state. He stood up and stretched his body. As he turned to face the direction of where the voice came from, an ant bit his foot.

"Ow! Man, it hurts!" he said while holding his left foot and hopping all over. He heard a faint giggle from his right and saw Kokori at the view. "K-kokori-chan! You're here this early? Why, you're a week earlier than last year!" Ruka exclaimed. The girl two years younger than him really grew much more curves now than before. "You became less fatter now." And with that statement, Koko got in a rage and kicked him in the shoulder. He held his shoulder after the kick, and exclaimed "Ow! I've been planting rice for 30 minutes already and my body aches, and you just gotta kick it still?!". Kokori just let out a naughty giggle and strode off.

Ruka sighed at the sight, her blue checkered summer dress swaying along with her skipping. And it was such a rare sight. Something he sees once a year. And it was always worth the wait.

* * *

_Kacha, Kacha_. Natsume could hear it everywhere. The sounds of the camera could be heard all around the Lotus Garden, and it was all made by Mikan. "Seriously, you're so good at these things, you're _too good_." Natsume mentioned while looking around at the photos she took earlier. After that statement, though he wasn't averting his gaze from the pile of pictures, he felt a little uneasy when he stopped hearing the kachas of the camera. Curiosity hit him as he looked at her direction. And at the very same time he was moving his head, he finally hear a 'kacha!'.

"Aww, why did you move?!" Mikan asked the boy, disappointed as she waited for the picture to come out from her camera. She waved it in the air and saw a perfect picture of a guys body, but a blurred face turning left. "It was almost perfect, Natsume-kun!" she whined. Natsume smirked and managed to say "I'm glad I did. I don't like my picture being taken, alright? You know that so don't even try. I hate hearing whines, remember?". At that, Mikan pouted and sat beside him on the bench. She looked at the pictures she took, and smiled at each of them.

"Say, Natsume-kun. Tell me more about yourself. Let's start off with your family." Mikan said as she got all the pictures and put it one by one in her black clear-book. "Why do I have to tell you?" Natsume asked with a brow raised. "I thought we were friends already, so I wonder." Mikan said with a tinge of disappointment.

"We are friends, baka. But I can't tell you." he said while spreading his arms out wide at the bench. His left arm twirling one of Mikan's pigtail. Mikan raised a brow at him and asked "Why?". Natsume went silent for a moment and stopped twirling her pigtail but still stretched his arms, and replied "Well, I just can't. I don't remember them. All I know is I was abandoned in this village. I grew up alone, and supported myself." he briefly explained. This caused Mikan to widen her eyes. "How old were you when you were...left?"

"I don't know. Perhaps since birth." Natsume replied cooly.

"But how were you able to live in your infancy stage?!"  
"I was adopted by a widower. She was 65 when she found me at the middle of the road, naked. I was rolling around like a ball, as she said. Hell, I can't imagine myself in that state." he said while faintly laughing. Mikan couldn't laugh along though, she found it too tragic. "When I was 8, she died just because of diarrhea. Well, she was old back then and I couldn't possibly bring her to a hospital alone. I had no friends since childhood, nor companions. I only had Obaa-san. At school, I was always alone. Probably they find my appearance scary, for I hear rumors that my eyebrows are short and slanted. Making me look like I'm always angry."

"I don't believe that. You're handsome, you know?!" Mikan said while crawling close to him and cupped his face in her hands. "Crimson eyes, Uncombed Ebony hair, a simple white t-shirt, and jeans with a cap! Who wouldn't be mesmerized?!" said Mikan. Natsume smirked and held her hands that was still cupping his face. "So you find me attractive?" Natsume asked with a little naught. But Mikan seemed too dense to get the idea and nodded really hard. Natsume laughed at the girl, and she did too. For whatever reason she doesn't know though.

"But Natsume-kun, you're life's so...cruel. So lonely." Mikan said with sad eyes, but Natsume covered it with his eyes. "Don't pity me, I've lived a good life. Anyway, you're here, aren't you? You're my first friend." He said with a smile while slowly removing his hand from her eyes and ruffled her hair. Her eyes were teary but she was flashing a smile and nodded like a good dog. "Y-yes, I'm here for you!"

* * *

**Five Days Later**.

"Stop! I can't take it anymore!"  
"I'm going to torture you until you cry blood, little girl."  
"You're so cruel! Stop it! I hate you, Natsume! Waaaaa."  
"You really hate me when I do these things to you. Don't you like it?"  
"No! Please, stop it! I'll die! Hahaha!"

"Stop tickling me! Haha! Please!" Mikan managed to say in between her laughs. Natsume was nonstop tickling her as a punishment for attempting to take his picture, once again. "I'm sorry! Just cut it out, Natsume!" she shrieked as he finally let go. "Do you want to face those terrors again, _Mikan-chan_?" he taunted with naught. "I just wanted to take a picture of you, you know?" said Mikan. Then Natsume suddenly held his head, like a tinge of pain suddenly struck it. "Are you okay? asked Mikan. Natsume smirked and stood up, dragging the girl along with him towards his house. They were in the front porch just now. "Gotcha."

"N-Natsume? What's the dragging for? It kinda hurts." said Mikan, trying to break free from his grasp. With her statement, Natsume loosened up a little. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to." he said. They were already inside the house and they were both standing in the middle of the living room. He held her hand a bit tighter again and forced it into his pocket.

"Hey! You're copying me you little copycat!"  
"Who said it's only _you_ who get to be the pervert?"  
"I am not a pervert! So you want to be a pervert now?"  
"Sheesh, just be quiet and get it."  
"Get what?"  
"Just-"  
"Alright, here goes nothing."

She searched for contents inside the pocket. She can't feel anything so she went deeper. And at the very edge of the pocket, she finally felt something and got it. "Why, it's a candy. You little copycat! Thanks a lot! No, really! Thanks!" She replied with a smile as she ate it. Natsume looked at her with those soft, calm crimson orbs.

"Mmmm, Green Apple. This always leave me a sweet and sour taste." said she while happily licking the hard candy.

After a moment of licking, she bit off something too hard and exclaimed "Ow! Are you trying to poison me?! What's this hard thing?!" she said while getting the thing from her mouth. Natsume just laughed at the reaction. After removing the item from her mouth, she was mesmerized to see a ring of a simple silver band with a camera pendant and the eye of the camera was a garnet, her birthstone.

"Natsume...there's a ring in the candy." she managed to react. Natsume dropped a sweat on her reaction. "That wasn't the way I expected of you to react. Well, anyway..." He got the ring from her grasp and knelt down before her, and continued "Sakura Mikan, will you be my girlfriend?". Mikan stood still, shocked by the revelation. But she answered "Natsume, I'm a hard to get person. So work hard to get me, okay?" she said with a smile. With this, it gave Natsume a ray of hope, that soon, she'll give him her sweet "Yes". For some reason, he jumped and shouted for joy in midair saying "Yay! I have a good chance!". Mikan just laughed at him.

* * *

Days have passed and Natsume was really trying hard to prove his worth to the girl. He's even courting the agreement of everyone in the family. Of course, Grandma Naruhi was totally agreeing to the idea of Mikan and Natsume together. Even Hotaru and the kids are.

And all the hopes crashed in just one day.

Kokori was walking alongside Natsume's house when she saw him riding his skateboard. She went to talk to him. "Hey, Natsume-kun. C-can you do me a favor?" she asked. Natsume stopped and smiled while wiping his sweat from his forehead using the sleeve of her shirt. "Anything for Kokori-chan." he replied with a faint smile.

"I...want to learn how to skateboard."

After minutes of practicing, Kokori finally got the hang of riding the skateboard and rested. And just about that time, Mikan was coming over to Natsume's house to chat with him for a while. Before she was able to be up front, she noticed Natsume and Kokori together on the ground and overheard "I'm so happy!" from Kokori as she hugged him with a soft peck on the cheek. Tears started to form at the bottom of her eyes, as she ran away from the sight. Unknowingly, she left the camera behind the bushes which caused a rustling and was heard by the two of them. Kokori first dashed in front, and saw the camera slightly showing behind the bushes.

"Oh no, Onee-chan must have misunderstood." Kokori mumbled as the two of them ran towards the Lotus Garden, where they felt her footsteps were heading to. But little did they know that she just went home.

* * *

"Mom, thank you for coming so fast. I don't want to see them for a while." said Mikan to her mother. Yuka patted the back of her daughter and led her towards the car. And without further ado, they rushed away from the countryside to return home.

And just after a few minutes, Kokori returned with an exhausted impression. "Grandma! Have you seen Onee-chan?" she immediately asked. "Why, she went home already. She was sad about seeing you and Natsume-kun together." Grandma Naruhi calmly explained. Kokori sat at the chair dumbfounded. She wiped her sweat and muttered "She really was hurt, I was just thanking Natsume-kun. But, that means Natsume-kun has a great chance with onee-chan, right? Grandma! Can I use your phone for just a short call?" she asked, which Grandma happily agreed to.

"**Mom! Can you please tell Onee-chan this?**"  
"_Kokori-chan, is that you?_"  
"**Yes, now mom. Tell her this. I was just thanking Natsume kun. No big deal!**"  
"_Okay, wait for a moment._"

...

_"Your sister said 'Thank Goodness, you're forgiven.'_".  
"**Thanks Mom! Will she return tomorrow?**"  
"_Yes._"  
"**Thank goodness! Thanks Mom! I love you!**"  
"_I love you too, sweetie._"

"Phew, that was close." Kokori said with a faint smile. But her smile faded away when she remembered what she and Natsume talked about a while ago at the Lotus Garden.

* * *

Mikan was sipping a hot cup of coffee when Kaoru suddenly sat beside her with her own cup of coffee.

"Was my little Mikan jealous with Kokori and Natsume? I heard that you seemed to have a misunderstanding between the circumstances of the two." Kaoru teased. Mikan just pouted but nodded.

"Well, they have a huge age gap. 14 to 19? 5 years is a big gap. But I have no protests about that kind of gap, okay? But, look at Kokori. She's not the type of falling in love too fast."

"But she kissed him."

"She always does when she thanks a person, right? Because you know that girl, she always feels like she owns something from a person she learned something new from." said Kaoru then sipped some coffee. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I was too overreacting. How shameful." Mikan told herself. Kaoru just giggled.

"It's odd how this friend of yours has so many similarities in my missing son." Kaoru started. This caught Mikan's attention. "You had a missing son?" she asked. Kaoru nodded and continued. "His name is Natsume, too. He was missing for 19 years already. I was so gloomy and depressed. Because I lost my son that my husband divorced with me. I heard a kidnapper was there to get my precious baby, but slipped him and was thrown to the window. I heard my baby's cry, but I was so weak to even stand up. I had a hard time in labor. When the police went to the hospital, they were too late. My baby was missing. He may have died for we were in the 11th floor there. It would take a miracle for him to be still alive. If so, he may have a disorder. A distored bone, perhaps? Oh, I hope not. I don't want that to happen to my son. He was so handsome, his red eyes, and his silky black hair. I really can tell he is going to be handsome."

Mikan was already crying. She was certain that Kaoru's son and Natsume is the same person. The details matched perfectly! "M-Mikan-chan? Don't cry! That was my past!" Kaoru tried to stop her. She was crying her heart out and she was saying something that Kaoru can't catch up to. "H-He is your son! Natsume's your son! He matches everything you said! His age, features, even the possible thing that could have happened after his fall. You need to come with me, tomorrow! So you could reunite with him!" Mikan insisted.

* * *

The Mazda 3 stopped in front of the village once again. Both Mikan and Kaoru ran towards grandma Naruhi's place. They entered the house with both thrill and excitement; thrill to finally reunite with Kaoru's long lost son and excitement to give him Mikan's sweet "yes". But what greeted them was a silent place with an aura of gloom. Only the kids were happily playing with their stuffed toys on the floor.

"What happened? Why such sad faces? We're back, Grandma! Hotaru-chan!" said Mikan. With that statement, the three kids crawled to her direction and called her attention. "Awnie Miyan-chan, Auwnie Yaolu-san, is it twue yhat Yasume-yun went to hyeaben?" Misaki innocently asked. Mikan and Kaoru's eyes widened with her question, then turned to face Hotaru for an explanation.

"...he's gone."

Mikan was taken aback. Kaoru went down on her knees. It was almost perfect! A separated mother and child reuniting with each other, and two mutual lovers becoming official. It was supposed to be a happy day! It _was_ supposed to be.

Both Mikan and Kaoru rushed towards the neighboring house, and found a coffin with Kokori and Ruka guarding it. Kokori was crying, while Ruka was trying to console her. Mikan couldn't walk another step further. Kaoru slowly walked towards the coffin, and saw the boy's lifeless body. She was now really sure that this was her son. He looked so alike with her, why, he even got her nose that she just noticed now. She covered her mouth with her hands, both smiling and crying. She was mourning for her lost son.

"W-Why...? Why did this happen so sudden?!" Mikan managed to ask with a tinge of anger. Kokori tried to stop crying to explain things. "H-He has a tumor in his brain. He has brain cancer, Onee-chan! He never told you for he feared that you might pity him which he didn't like to happen. He wanted to have happy times with you with his little time remaining. He told me this yesterday at the Lotus Garden when we were looking for you. He was so depressed because he hurt your feelings. But it was really me, I told him. But because of his depression, his condition got worse and eventually made him collapse. He loves you to bits, Onee-chan. He really does!" Kokori handed Mikan her camera which made Mikan cry harder, and mumbled "I didn't even gave him my yes, yet." Then started dashing off outside the house.

All did nothing but mourn.

* * *

Mikan was crying at the bench in the Lotus Garden. She wanted some time alone. To think, to reminisce. Oh how it hurts to remember their happy days here.

Suddenly, she started shouting. "Natsume you idiot! I haven't gave you my yes yet, and I was supposed to give it to you now! But why did you leave me?! You don't have to die just because I was hurt! Natsume, Natsume! I found your mother already, and she's there at your house. Why did you have to leave at such a wrong time?! I haven't even took a photo of you! I don't like to take a picture of you in a coffin, you know? I never dreamed of doing so. Oh, Natsume... I love you, Natsume!"

"I love you too, Mikan Sakura."

She stopped shouting when she suddenly heard that familiar masculine voice. She turned to look around to see if _he_ was there. "Natsume, Natsume!" she called out to the air. Then a figure appeared at her right, and it was him. The one she came to love so much. "Natsume, yes! I want to be your girlfriend! Yes!" Mikan said while trying to reach out to him. He did so, too.

"I'm glad. I'm glad that I had you in my lively days. You were the reason I was meant to be alive after falling off a building." Natsume said, while tears were flowing down from his face. "And Mikan, take a picture of me."

Mikan stared at him for a while, and got a hold of her camera, and said "But you're a ghost."

"I won't move, I promise." And with that, she clicked her camera. She waited for the picture to come out, and shook it.

And there it was, A beautiful boy smiling with his hair uncombed and teary crimson eyes. The countryside proved itself. May it be alive or dead, still, it is a natural scene. The perfect definition of reality. This was real, that with the power of love, anything could happen. When she looked towards his direction, he was already gone. And the picture she was holding was his only proof of existence in this world. The son of Kaoru that did live, and the only guy that Mikan would give her heart to.

-**Fin**.

* * *

**(A/N)**_I'd like to cry. After a week of typing this oneshot, I'm finally satisfied! I started this off as a mini-manga, but I failed to finish it. So, I decided to make it a oneshot here in FFnet instead. I hope you like it!_

_I tried to add a little comedy in it by using Koko as Mikan's sister and Ruka's love interest. (Which was a major Ew!) And Koko actually getting the chance to kiss OUR beloved Natsume in the cheeks! xD I can't believe I just did that. And with Narumi acting as the grandmother is a plus, too! And imagining Misaki, Tsubasa and Hayate as babies were so fun too! Also Nobara being a killjoy of a person. xD _

_Most of the characters are so OOC. But I really love the outcome. And I used Kaoru in a story for the first time! Isn't it great? x]_

_I'd love it if you would give me reviews on this. xD It will give me inspiration and motivation. :D_


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